Can't Use Plastic Bags? Just Steal A Basket

[45Doll 4,297]

This did occur to me one day in Shoprite shortly after the ban started and I forgot to bring in a bag. Although my thought only went as far as getting the goods into the crates in the back of the SUV. But this wasn't hard to forecast.

Customers are stealing shopping baskets instead of buying bags, N.J. supermarkets say - nj.com

[NJ_Dude 136]

"...and didn’t want to buy 33-cent reusable bags"

 

Really? the stores by me charge $1+ for those reusable bags.

#FPM!!!!

[FXDX 622]

must be light shoppers, I wish I could fit our groceries in one of those...

[Bklynracer 1,047]

Did this 3 weeks ago, my wife asked me to stop and get something, so I did, figured since I was there get something for myself, ice cream, chips, some snacks, go to check out and up no bag, put back in basket went to truck, put it in drove off.

Got home, kids laughed, wife gave me dirty look. Got it home didn't I?

Returned it next day when I drove by. If you return it, No harm No foul.

[45Doll 4,297]

12 hours ago, NJ_Dude said:

"...and didn’t want to buy 33-cent reusable bags"

I was in Weis a few weeks ago, went to the self-checkout and realized I had no bag. There was a carousel of 'designer' bags from maybe $1 to 4$. I was standing there deciding what to do and a Weis lady came over to me and pointed out the plain $0.50 bags further down the aisle. So I congratulated her for being alert and bought one. Actually that bag was pretty sturdy, and was assembled with a large FLAT bottom, so you could fit a fair amount of goods in it.

So next trip I just bought a couple to leave them in the vehicles for the next time either of us make a surprise stop.

We have egg crate type carriers that we use when we go to BJs which has never had bags. So for large supermarket purchases we just put the stuff back in the cart, roll it out to the car and put it into the crates. Might have one bag for really small things.

[Mr.Stu 1,151]

I'm "that guy" that takes back the "single use" bags and uses them again.

[gleninjersey 1,929]

4 minutes ago, Mr.Stu said:

I'm "that guy" that takes back the "single use" bags and uses them again.

When they started talking about the "plastic bag ban" my wife started saving ALL the plastic bags she brought home.

We have bags of plastic bags.  And she bought several hundred new ones from Amazon.

And one store (Shoprite I think) gave her several (close to two dozen at least) of the reusable bags for "free" when she ordered online when this entire fiasco started.

So the bags she's been saving for over a year, plus the bags she's ordered, plus the "free" reusable bags and a few of the produce boxes from Costso we leave in the back of her SUV....I would say we are set for "a while". 

I "may" have "borrowed" a plastic basket shortly after the entire nonsense started.  If I did, it was certainly returned very quickly. 

Entire thing is stupid.  We've always saved the plastic bags and reused them several times.

[Krdshrk 3,338]

Just now, gleninjersey said:

When they started talking about the "plastic bag ban" my wife started saving ALL the plastic bags she brought home.
We have bags of plastic bags.  And she bought several hundred new ones from Amazon.

We used to - and with kids we're actually running out...

I just like walking around with all of the gun industry bags that I got from SHOT Show and other events.  Big orange NRA bags, UTG, Kalashnikov, Gunbroker had some pretty nice ones too.

I keep a packable Glock bag in the car in case I forget.  It packs into itself - pretty nice.

[45Doll 4,297]

10 hours ago, gleninjersey said:

When they started talking about the "plastic bag ban" my wife started saving ALL the plastic bags she brought home.

Me too. The whole ban thing seemed stupid to us. Of course we don't throw them out the car window or something when we're done with them. They don't wind up 'drifting around the environment or ocean'. They get loaded with trash, garbage or cat litter and end up in the dump. And the dumps only accept bagged garbage when you drop it off, so what's the difference from their point of view?

None.

[planenut 38]

Wegmans actually got rid of their shopping baskets mid-way through the pandemic for: reasons (along with their meal counter). Been bringing in my milk crate that I keep in my car along with whatever free reusable bags I've been able to collect. According to my mother and sister if you do that in Shop-Rite they try to slap a "Paid" sticker on every single item you have.

[Lawnmower2021 259]

I've seen people steal shopping carts in Brooklyn so it's not surprising.

I have an enormous stockpile of reusable bags from curbside pickup. The irony is that I usually forget about them and just carry groceries loose in my car...

I used to also have bags full of other bags which usually went towards trash, but I've depleted that supply.

[45Doll 4,297]

10 hours ago, Lawnmower2021 said:

I've seen people steal shopping carts in Brooklyn so it's not surprising.

No it isn't. Shopping carts have been a favorite conveyance for the 'homeless' for decades. And not for groceries.

That's why the quarter chain locks on the carts were originally installed.

[15636215 350]

I use a plastic laundry basket. Put in cart, carry out to car and into house. Keep it in car. Use for post office runs too.

[Bklynracer 1,047]

2 hours ago, 45Doll said:

No it isn't. Shopping carts have been a favorite conveyance for the 'homeless' for decades. And not for groceries.

That's why the quarter chain locks on the carts were originally installed.

Think they stopped using the chain locks because all you needed was a slug, 

(Think I'm aging myself) to bypass it.